Road conditions and the type of vehicle needed to reach each farm vary and need to be checked with Outback Links and the farmer beforehand.

Volunteers provide their own transport to and from the farm, at their own expense. We ask that the farmer provides volunteers with a tank of fuel on departure. Volunteers are encouraged to research the unique aspects of travelling in remote Australia. Volunteers need their own suitable transport to make their way to and from the location of the placement. Volunteers should consider the type of vehicle to be used, the distance and road surface over which they may be travelling, as well as higher fuel prices in some rural and remote regions. Volunteers are responsible for registering, insuring and maintaining their vehicle(s) to a roadworthy standard. Volunteers are expected to have the appropriate licence for any vehicle they drive. It is recommended that volunteers hold a manual drivers licence.

Before going on placement, volunteers are to read and understand the Placement Health & Safety Checklist, which provides some guidance on what to check before travelling in remote areas.

Volunteers need to be aged between 18 and 85 years to be covered by our volunteer insurance and for Working with Children requirements.

There are a variety of different jobs that you can do on a farm. Volunteers help with the day-to-day work on remote properties around Australia when families need an extra pair of hands. Volunteer jobs can include helping around the house, gardening, cooking, school tutoring, feeding the animals, and other ad hoc jobs around the house and farm. Volunteers can also help the farmer with general maintenance, fixing tractors, small plumbing jobs, fixing fences, stock work or even business admin or book keeping.

As well as practical help, volunteers provide a ‘listening ear’ for farmers who are often isolated. Volunteers don’t try to provide the answers but give people an opportunity to talk and come up with their own answers. Volunteers are aware of opportunities to listen, but also know that each person is different and not everyone has the same desire to talk or discuss personal issues.

The farmer usually provides food for the volunteers. However if you have special dietary requirements or allergies you will need to bring your own food as it may not be available in remote areas.

A list is provided to volunteers before they go on placement with some suggestions about what to bring.

Outback Links volunteers hold a wide range of skills and knowledge. Outback Links is developing training to assist volunteers to gain the skills they need and build on their current knowledge.

Eligibility is on a case-by-case basis. However, we use the following criteria to assess whether a farmer is eligible for assistance:

• Physical injury
• Serious illness
• Assisting with care of the aged or sickness
• Recent loss of partner/family member (within the last 12 months)
• Mental illness
• Birth of a new child
• Disaster recovery e.g. after drought, floods or fires
• Peak season relief e.g. harvest or muster
• The work cannot be done by private contractors/other agencies in a paid capacity, or the family or individual are not in a position to pay for the service or are not able to find contractors willing to travel to their property
• No local volunteers are available

No, it not possible for children to accompany a volunteer on a placement with Outback Links. This is due to insurance and Working with Children Check requirements. Volunteers need to be minimum age 18 years.

It is usually not possible for volunteers to bring their pets with them to a placement. Exceptions to this need to be negotiated and approved before your placement.

As a volunteer, in the course of volunteer activities for Frontier Services, you are covered for personal injury under the Uniting Church’s Personal Accident Insurance Policies (Voluntary Workers Accident Cover). Volunteers are also protected by the Uniting Church’s Public Liability insurance cover. Volunteers are also protected for driving and travelling for personal injury under the Uniting Church’s Corporate Travel Insurance Cover.

However, please take note that Third Party and Property Damage claims must be covered under the volunteers’ own Comprehensive Motor Vehicle insurance policies. Please note that all volunteers should firstly obtain reimbursement of medical expenses from Medicare. These will not be covered by the policies. Volunteers are covered by insurance from the age of 18 until the age of 85.

These checks are needed to for risk management for volunteer insurance, for funding requirements and for the safety of the families and individuals in remote Australia, given that Outback Links volunteers work unsupervised and in many cases with disadvantaged people.

Volunteers need to be physically fit, as well as mentally fit, to work in isolated, often challenging conditions with families who are under a lot of stress. However, not all work is physical. There are jobs suitable for most people.

Accommodation varies from farm to farm. It can range from being very basic, such as shearer’s quarters without the comforts of air conditioning, to a room within the farmer’s home. Some volunteers bring their own caravan, however this needs to be checked with the farmer beforehand.

Volunteers usually help out for 1 to 2 weeks at a time. However each farmer can receive volunteer help for up to 4 weeks a year.

There is no upfront charge to volunteer with Outback Links. However, from time to time we run group bus trips, for which there may be a charge.

You will need to pay for a National Police Check and a Working with Children Check in order to volunteer. The National Police Check costs $30 and the costs for Working with Children Checks range from free (QLD) to $55 (SA). These checks last 3 years.